THE owner of a St Neots restaurant has been ordered to pay nearly �6,000 after inspectors found the premises in dirty and filthy condition.

Chun Leung of Farmhouse Kitchen, Moores Walk has been fined �3300 and ordered to pay �2,500 costs to Huntingdonshire District Council after pleading guilty at Huntingdon Magistrates Court to four food hygiene offences.

The prosecution, by the council, followed an unannounced visit to the premises by an environmental health officer in December 2010.

The officer found food was being handled and prepared in dirty, greasy premises and that there were dirty articles, fittings and equipment and the walls and floor surfaces were also dirty.

The owner closed the restaurant voluntarily for three days to carry out cleaning.

Councillor Tom Sanderson said: “We are satisfied that the magistrates viewed these matters as seriously as we did. We have a responsibility to the public to ensure that food they buy has been prepared in hygienic and safe conditions. We always say that if anyone has concerns they should contact our environmental health department.”